Winx filly is the Perfect 10: Why only Debbie Kepitis person deserved this ‘collector’s item’

It was the day when ego could not eclipse emotion. When the love for a filly meant more than money.

As Debbie Kepitis made her incredulous $10 million bid for the Winx yearling filly at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale last Monday, the digital results board wasn’t immediately configured for such a huge amount.

The digital display, which is strategically placed directly behind the auctioneer, instead read “$10,000,…”.

It was like the day Comaneci produced the first-ever perfect 10 score in gymnastics at the 1976 Montreal Olympics but the results board could only show 1.0.

And just like how the iconic Comaneci score has gone down in sporting history, so will the incredible bidding duel at the Inglis Riverside sale complex on Warwick Farm racecourse which resulted in the world record sale of all-time great racemare Winx’s first-ever foal, a filly by Pierro.

The much-anticipated auction matched the pre-sale hype with the winning bidder surprising onlookers almost as much as the price.

• Winx filly smashes records after $10 million sale

Kepitis is a member of the Winx ownership group that announced some months ago that they would sell the champion mare’s first foal at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. She had been comfortable with this decision until the auction drew closer.

“In the past few weeks, all of the family, we started to miss our ‘daughter, granddaughter’, so we just decided if we could get her, we would,” Kepitis said.

After weeks of intense media interest and hype, finally the day arrived. When Lot 391, Winx’s filly, walked into the Inglis sale-ring around 2pm on Monday, the auditorium fell silent. The next three minutes of frenetic bidding made for compelling sporting theatre.

There were essentially only two buyers – Kepitis, who was sitting with her family at a table inside the auditorium, and American John Stewart, bidding by phone from a restaurant in Kentucky.

Jonathan D’Arcy, the most experienced auctioneer at Inglis, called for opening bids and there were audible gasps when $2 million was announced.

Bidding increased in increments of $500,000 to $3 million when Stewart upped the ante and matched the Australian yearling sale record of $5 million.

They were only just getting started. The bidding was going to stratospheric heights.

Kepitis returned serve: “$6 million” was the call.

Inglis managing director Mark Webster was standing just to the right of the sale ring and was on the phone to Stewart, taking his bids. Webster shouted: “$7.5 million”.

There was electricity in the air as D’Arcy turned back to Kepitis who nodded: “$8 million.”

Stewart had said pre-sale he was prepared to go to $9 million for the Winx filly. Was he true to his word?

Webster was in deep discussion with Stewart on the other side of the world. Then Webster confirmed: “$9 million.”

Kepitis paused for what was only a few seconds but it seemed an eternity. Everyone was holding their breath. Then came her bid: “$10 million!”

Stewart abruptly ended his call to Webster. The auctioneer, sensing the moment, raised his gavel then slammed it down after saying: “Going once, going twice, going three times … sold for $10 million.’’

Suddenly, Kepitis burst into tears. The emotion of the moment overwhelmed her. She was comforted by family before regaining some composure and fronting the media.

“I am privileged to have been able to secure this filly on behalf of my family,’’ Kepitis said. “She’s Australian forever and she’s going to be just fabulous.’’

Stewart might have had a bruised ego after losing out in the bidding duel but he was moved to post a comment on social media: “How can anyone think this was a bad outcome? I am so happy for Debbie. Well played. Lots of respect.’’

• ‘I’m done’: The man who bid $9m for Winx filly and still missed out

Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch said the sale of Winx’s yearling was a proud moment for the Australian racing and breeding industry.

“To have every major television network, every major newspaper, so many national radio stations here at Riverside, the images and vision that are going around the world paints our industry in a magnificent light,’’ Hutch said.

The filly, affectionately known as “Winnie”, will race in Kepitis’ famous Woppitt Bloodstock colours of purple, white hoops, black seams and a purple and white quartered cap.

These are the same colours that jockey Tim Clark, the rider of Lindermann, will wear in the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Sydney’s richest autumn carnival weight-for-age race was also Winx’s farewell to the racetrack five years ago when the champion mare won her third straight Queen Elizabeth Stakes, ending her career with an incredible 33 successive wins.

Winx’s trainer Chris Waller prepares Lindermann and he will be entrusted with Winx’s filly when she begins her racing career next season.

Coolmore Australia supremo Tom Magnier, who prepared the Winx filly for the Easter Sale, had the final word on the extraordinary bidding duel for the yearling that took place earlier this week.

“You wouldn’t see this anywhere else in the world. You wouldn’t see the build-up, you wouldn’t see the hype and atmosphere,” Magnier said.

“It’s just the perfect story. I knew the filly was going to make a very high figure because somebody is buying history. She is a classic, a collectors’ item and there’s only one person who deserved this and that’s Debbie.”

Originally published as Winx filly is the Perfect 10: Why only Debbie Kepitis person deserved this ‘collector’s item’